Telehealth coverage under Medicare is set to expire at the end of this month, but a new bill from Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., aims to make telehealth coverage permanent for senior citizens.
Millions of American seniors use telehealth services, which are especially vital to seniors who don’t drive anymore or live in rural communities.
Currently, Medicare allows seniors to receive telehealth services through March 31. However, starting April 1, most telehealth appointments will be covered only if they’re provided in person at rural medical facilities or offices.
“That’s right, if you’re a senior on Medicare, starting April 1, your doctor’s visits on video conference or Zoom or phone will no longer be covered,” Rep. Khanna said on Feb. 25. “This is going to impact over 12 million Americans, and the crazy thing is that the inspectors general have found that there’s only 0.2 percent of fraud in telehealth.”
“So, why are we taking telehealth away from millions of seniors who are homebound or who have difficulty leaving their homes? It is most devastating for rural Americans,” the congressman added.
The Telehealth Coverage Act would require Medicare to pay for telehealth services permanently. Rep. Khanna encouraged his colleagues to pass the bill “so that millions of American seniors aren’t deprived of telehealth services because of the actions of the Trump administration.”
The bill comes after one of Rep. Khanna’s recent social media posts went viral, bringing attention to the coming deadline.
“What is the rationale for this other than making life more difficult for many seniors?” Rep. Khanna said in a post on X.
Separately, a group of nearly 350 organizations – including patient advocacy groups and large corporations – sent a letter to congressional leadership on Feb. 24 urging them to establish permanent or long-term access to telehealth.
“Both patients and practitioners seek assurance that services will remain available,” the letter says. “Enhanced access to telehealth services serves as a lifeline to patients across the country, allowing patients to access critical health care services even when they have barriers to accessing in-person care, such as weakened immune systems, transportation challenges, geographic distance, and more.”
